The Strange Awarness
by sweetdixie.17
Summary: Young Kaina was training to be a Jedi when the Sith arose in the galaxy once more. After letting the Force guide her to the path of immortality, she fully expects to wake up as a Force Ghost like Qui-Gon. But the strange powers of the universe intercede and she wakes up in Middle Earth instead. Will her broken trust mend after the betrayal she somehow survived?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is just a test drive to see how I do on a crossover. If you would like me to continue this, let me know!**

* * *

"The Force flows through you. It's energy— moving through us and surrounding every living creature. Your mind is straying, young Kaina."

The four-year old girl blinked and shook her head to free herself of her mind wanderings.

"Forgive me, master. I was lost in my thoughts.', she replied honestly, knowing her teacher could sense her thoughts anyway.

"Your thoughts often stray away. Why is that?"

"I do not know, master."

"Hmm. We will have to fix that. Meditation is used to clear one's mind, not clutter it."

Kaina eyed the green-skinned being and gave a sheepish grin as his coal black eyes met her brown ones.

"I will try harder."

Kit Fisto chuckled in mild exasperation. He had somehow been roped into helping Yoda teach classes at the Jedi Temple, and he was requested to help the young human with a few things she had been having trouble with.

"One more time, young one. Let the Force control your thoughts and actions. It will guide you, but you must also let it."

Kaina took a deep breath before closing her eyes and allowing the Force to take over. She could sense the comforting presence of her teacher as she slowly felt around with what one could only call her 'soul'.

The Force submerged her, helping her consciousness brush against the different blurs of color in her mind that represented the different people in the surrounding areas.

"Good. The Force will train you in its ways only if you will calm yourself enough to listen. Remember that, even if you do not recall anything from this lesson after tomorrow. You may go."

Kit Fisto watched in amusement as his small student skipped off to play with the other younglings, brown hair bouncing behind her. She was quicker than most to learn the ways of the Force, and her midichlorian count was unusually high for a human. Not the highest that had been seen, but certainly far above the lowest.

"Strange you think, hmm? Stronger than most young Kaina is?"

Kit turned to see Yoda hobbling towards him.

"She shows great potential, though I often catch her daydreaming. I still wonder at how I ended up teaching classes." He raised an eyebrow at Yoda.

"Needed a rest from traveling, you did. Heavy was war on your mind."

The Nautolon rubbed his forehead. The Clone Wars had taken a toll on all the Jedi.

They watched as the little ones weaved through the room in an intricate version of tag.

"Master Yoda, something draws me to the youngling. I sense something in her..."

"Strong is your bond. One of master and padawan, it is.

Kit Fisto was rather startled by that observation.

"She is too young to become a padawan, Master Yoda."

"Yes. But old enough to start training. Special she is. Council will decide when she is ready for initiate trails."

"Are you saying that there is a chance she will graduate from the youngling classes early?"

"Skill of the student is what makes Padawan. Not age.', the small green figure kindly reminded Kit Fisto.

* * *

 ** _Four years later..._**

"Calm yourself, Kaina. The Council has not made the decision yet."

She wrinkled her nose at Obi-Wan, a Jedi she had met through her first instructor, Kit Fisto, several years ago. He had just returned from rescuing the Chancellor from Grevious and was supposed to be resting, yet he had taken it upon himself to help settle Kaina's emotions.

"Forgive me, master."

He laughed softly and helped her to her feet.

"You should meditate for a few minutes to calm yourself.', Obi-Wan suggested gently.

"It's hard not to be nervous.', Kaina sighed. "I wish Master Kit was here for this. I haven't seen him for three years since he received that mission on Mon Calamari."

They were awaiting the verdict of the Council on the matter of Kaina's training. It was not often that one so young was even considered to become a padawan, but the Council was seriously contemplating it.

"Master Yoda is summoning us."

Kaina shook herself out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry, Master Kenobi. You should be resting like the healers told you to."

"If I did everything the healers told me to do I would never make it out of the Temple.', he muttered under his breath. Kaina giggled, happily distracted from her jitters until they arrived at the Council Room. She gripped Obi-wan's hand tighter as he gently nudged her into the room. Anakin Skywalker, Obi-wan's old apprentice, was standing to the side of the round room, his shoulders taut.

Curious, she gently probed Anakin's mind, finding the root of his frustration before sending him an encouraging smile.

 _They will be persuaded, but you must prove yourself worthy, Master Skywalker._

He looked startled as her message reached him, but relaxed once he realized she had not spoken out loud.

The Council room was made up of a glass dome that sat at the top of the building. The Jedi Temple was located in the heart of Coruscant, which allowed them to see the most bustling part of the planet. But for all the chaos going on outside, the room inside had a calming aura to it. It was stern, wise, and kind all at once, these emotions put into place by the members of the Council who fairly exuded them.

"Welcome, youngling."

Yoda's gravelly voice made her jump, which in turn made those seated chuckle.

She bowed in respect toward the small creature but said nothing.

"Unsure you are. Sense this we do."

Murmurs of agreement filled the room and Kaina blushed deeply.

"Decided we have, concerning your training. Initiate trials, you must take."

"You are young, Kaina. But the Force flows strongly through you. The trials will not be easy, but if you succeed you shall become a padawan."

"Yes, Master Windu. I will do my best."

"Good. Begin with the code."

 _"There is no emotion, there is peace._

 _There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._

 _There is no chaos, there is harmony._

 _There is no death, there is the Force."_

Kaina carefully recited the Jedi Code as the Council watched her thoughtfully.

"First test you have passed. Second is to come.', Yoda nodded his approval of her recitation. "Build lightsaber, you must."

She was quickly led to an adjoining room and left there. Kaina blinked in surprise before realizing what was expected of her. Using her mind, she searched out the pieces that were needed to construct a saber. She did not know how she knew what they were, she just _felt_.

It was as she had always been taught— she let the Force guide her and train her in its ways.

It was no easy task, nor was it done in one day. It took three weeks of meditation and searching of the Force before she was truly able to finish it. The kyber crystal that had been used was a very pale blue, making the blade look like ice when it was finally completed. The hilt was formed to mold comfortably in her grip, making the lightsaber much easier to control.

A satisfied grin spread across her face as she twirled the plasma blade through the air.

"It is well built."

She had sensed the person who had entered the room but the voice still startled her when it spoke.

"Thank you, Master Anakin."

She pushed herself back in her chair as the Jedi Knight inspected her creation.

"The Council asked me to come and find you."

Kaina stood and padded softly behind Anakin to the Council Room. Yoda and Mace Windu both inspected her weapon before placing it back into her hands.

"Complete the weapon is.', Yoda declared to those seated in the circle. "Initiate trials she has completed. Become a padawan, young Kaina will."

She swallowed and glanced around at the Jedi Masters in her company.

"A mentor has already been chosen to train you, young one.', Mace Windu informed her. "An old friend agreed to train you in the ways of the Force."

A presence she had not felt in a long time suddenly made itself known as the Nautolon entered the room.

"Master Kit!', she happily squeaked as she bounded across the room and hugged his legs. A few eyebrows were raised but most of the Council members just shook their heads and smiled at Kaina's childish innocence.

"Ehem."

Kaina released his legs and scurried off to stand in front of Yoda, her eyes wide as she realized the scene she had just caused.

"Agree with decision do you?"

She grinned at the Council before giving a hearty nod.

* * *

 _"Let the Force guide you. It will train you in its ways if you will listen to it."_

Kaina tossed in her sleep as an image of the Jedi Temple burning to the ground flitted through her mind.

 _There is no death, only the Force..._

She sat bolt upright in her bunk. Her dreams had been troubled for the past few day after she had become Kit's padawan, and she could not understand the strangeness of them.

Climbing out of her bed, she sat cross legged on the floor and began to meditate in order to calm herself.

Strange blurs of color invaded her mind as she concentrated on the flow of the Force. They danced through her soul, whispering of something she did not even know was possible: _immortality._

It confused her but she searched deeper, letting the energy of the Force into the very depths of her being. A lightness took hold of her, and she opened her eyes in another world. Everything was in blues and greens, like the colors she had seen glimpses of moments before.

Kaina watched as something began to take shape from the blue and green splotches around her until it formed the body of a man. He had brown hair and kind brown eyes, which looked down at her as curiously as she looked back. He was clad as a Jedi, but she also felt something different about him. He was... almost other worldly. In fact, she was positive that's what he was.

"I am Qui-Gon Jinn, little one."

Though she recognized the name, the face was unfamiliar to her.

"Master Kenobi said you were dead.', she replied as she tried to figure out why he was an opaque blue.

"And he would be right, had I not found a different path. This is a world between the worlds, so to speak. A spiritual realm, if you will. Another world of the Force."

"Oh. Why am I here?"

"I am not sure, but the Force must flow strongly though your veins if it revealed this path to you at such a young age."

Kaina's face puckered as she tried to sort out this strange predicament.

"Am I dreaming?', she finally voiced.

Qui-Gon smiled.

"No. You are meditating, and your restful state has brought you here. When you stop your meditation you will be back inside your room."

She bit her lip as she gazed around.

"Okay... This is a really strange place though. It feels... like heaven."

A laugh bubbled out of Obi-Wan's old master.

"I suppose it is. When those who have become one with the Force so completely as you an I have, we come here whenever we die or meditate. In a way I have died, but my spirit shall go on living here forever."

Qui-Gon paused for a moment as if he were listening for something.

"Your master is calling for you. It is best that you return to your room."

Kaina bobbed her head in agreement. This place was weird and a little much for her eight-year old mind to handle.

* * *

 ** _The Day of the First Jedi Purge..._**

"Your lightsaber is an extension of yourself. Use it like you would an arm or leg, Kaina.', her mentor gently reprimanded as she blocked the bolts that were shot her way by the training remote. The floating ball whirled around her in dizzying circles as she continued to deflect the things it flung at her.

It had now been two months since she had become a padawan and in that time she had learned much more than she had imagined possible. She had grown not only physically, but spiritually and intellectually. It was always exhilarating to feel the energy moving through her body as she tested the new skills she had learned.

The comlink in Kit Fisto's belt suddenly blinked and crackled with static as he was summoned to meet with Yoda on an urgent matter.

"Yes, Master Yoda. I am on my way."

His gaze was troubled and he refused to meet Kaina's eyes.

"Do not leave the temple. I will be back shortly."

He quickly rushed out of the room, leaving his student to look after him confusingly.

Kit Fisto left the Jedi Temple that night, never to return.

* * *

Kaina was sitting on her bunk, dangling her legs and trying to not squirm with impatience. A sudden darkness made her catch her breath and shudder. It wrapped itself around her and threatened to suffocate her. Pain ripped through the bond she had with her master before it was suddenly extinguished.

She fell to the floor with a gasp. Something was terribly wrong.

Blindly feeling around the floor, she quickly located her lightsaber and clipped it to her belt before creeping out of the living quarters she shared with her master.

The Temple halls were always cool at night, but tonight she could sense something much colder lurking in the shadows.

She crept towards the Council room, trying vainly to sense her master's presence through their bond.

Kaina paused at the doorway as she suddenly felt the fear of her comrades wash over her. Running to the windows to see what was happening, her stomach lurched and she felt sick at the sight that met her eyes.

Clone troopers were marching on the Temple, their blaster bolts killing everything in their path. Jedi were strewn about the ground as they lay dead in pools of their own blood.

"Hide!', she commanded and the younglings who had taken shelter in the Council room scattered around the room to duck behind the overly large chairs.

The pounding of feet on marble stone echoed through the room. The footsteps were getting closer; they were in the outer corridor. The double doors burst open as a familiar figure strode in, his Jedi robes flowing behind him.

One of her friends gave a cry of relief as he shot out from his hiding place.

"Master Skywalker! They're too many of them! What are we going to do?"

Anakin slowly turned to look at the child. Kaina choked as she caught sight of his eyes; they were red and yellow. Her mind refused to grasp what the Force had been telling her ever since she had first felt the dark presence in her room: the Sith had returned to the galaxy.

A gasp of horror tore through the room as her young friend was cut down where he stood. Pain. There was only pain in the chaos that captured the room shortly thereafter.

Kaina watched as the Jedi, no Sith, killed her friends off one by one. The man they had all trusted was swallowed up in a blinding rage of hate and anger.

"Anakin! Stop!"

She ran out of her hiding place to stand in front of the young girl that had almost gotten cut down.

"Master Anakin! What are you doing?! This is wrong! This is evil!"

"The Jedi are evil!', he roared back.

She flinched at the raw emotion in his voice.

"You're a good person, Master! Why are you doing this? This is what the Sith do! Not the Jedi!"

"I am the Sith."

His voice lowered to a menacing growl that seemed to shake the very earth.

He shoved past her. Why he did not kill her, she did not know. Kaina wept as Anakin held her back in a Force push until the last of her friends had been murdered. He spun to face her.

"Join me, Kaina. Become my padawan. You are powerful, even the Emperor senses it."

She shook her head.

"No! It is wrong!', she refused vehemently.

"Become my apprentice and I will spare your life."

She shook her head again.

"I am already someone's apprentice."

"Your master is dead. The one I serve killed him." He studied her pale face for a moment. "I sense the anger you feel towards the Sith. Use it, Kaina. Harness the power of the Dark Side! If you will not accept the mercy I am offering you, you will die like your friends!"

"Mercy?', Kaina cried. "What mercy is there in such pain and terror?" She motioned to the younglings where they had fallen.

His voice grew colder and his eyes blazed.

"You have chosen the way of death."

He leapt towards her, and she yanked out her saber just in time to block the blow. Her arms tremored under the pressure that was applied to them. Kaina was no match for the newly arisen Sith, and they both knew it.

Within seconds her blade was flipped from her hands, landing across the room, and the energy beam of her opponent was positioned across her throat.

"This is your last chance.', he hissed into her ear. "Join me or perish."

Kaina bravely glared back at him.

"If I perish, I perish. But I die knowing that I did not give in."

Burning pain wrenched through her gut as Anakin impaled her with his blade. She gave a single cry before she faded into the darkness, her cloak falling shapelessly to the ground. The Sith lord moved it cautiously with his foot while a frustrated look twisted his features— Kaina had disappeared.

* * *

 **A/N: Sooooo? What did you think? Should I keep writing it?**


	2. Chapter 2

Kaina's eyelashes fluttered against her pale cheeks as sunlight filtered through the creaking tree boughs above her. Her body felt languid, though her mind was now fully awake. It was almost as if she had been put into a trance, she thought as she squinted against the light that had invaded the darkness behind her eyes.

Slowly sitting up, she gently touched her tender abdomen, which seemed to bear no sign of injury. The tunic she was clad in proved that she had indeed been speared with a light saber, as there was a singed hole in its front, and most likely there was a matching one on the lower back part of the brown material also. Puzzled, Kaina peeled the sticky tunic from her skin to peer at the place she was certain had sustained injury. Nothing was there, only a smooth expanse of creamy skin.

Biting her lip, she swallowed the sob that rose in her throat.

 _Master Anakin betrayed us. He murdered his friends. He murdered my friends. There was so much hate! So much pain..._

The grief began to feel as if it would rip her in two, and had she been standing her knees would have surely given out.

 _Why? Why would he do that? It wasn't right!_

The child curled up into a ball and wept herself to sleep as she fought to keep the hateful thoughts from entering her mind.

When she finally woke up several hours later, the sun was high in the sky and she took the time to take in her surroundings before standing to her feet. Wherever she was, it certainly wasn't Coruscant. Her home planet was one big city, while in this place there seemed to be no end to the trees and natural growth. Although, she could not really tell, judging as how the woods were so thick she could only see a few feet into them.

All at once, she suddenly noticed several things. One was that the Force was thrumming, closing around her as it teemed with life. Two was that the air held no trace of fumes, as if no aircrafts had ever blighted the planets oxygen supply with exhaust. And three was that she felt extremely overwhelmed at being alone in such a wide expanse of wilderness. While there were signs of life all around her, signs of civilization were much harder to locate.

Kaina suddenly felt like she was much younger than she actually was as she began to wander through the woods. Much younger. So much in fact, that she suddenly had the very childish urge to chase an orange butterfly as it rippled past her ear. Such urges were uncommon for one who had been trained in the Jedi Temple and taught to be calm and composed at all times.

The child stumbled into a small glade and stopped dead in her tracks as a twig snapped to her left. Her eyes slowly roved in that direction and she held her breath as she searched for the threat. No evil could be sensed, but that did not stop her from gasping in surprise as the magnificent creature slowly stepped out from behind the bushes.

It was a white deer whose coat shimmered as it stood proudly before her, almost three times her height. Its antlers, which spanned several feet wide, informed her that it was male. As his deep brown eyes regarded her wisely Kaina could see the long years this beast had lived shining back at her from those emotion-filled orbs.

The kingly animal carefully approached her, as if to keep from startling her rather than the other way around. He gently leaned down and nudged her face. Kaina giggled as she pushed the snuffling nose away and gazed at the massive deer. But her joy was short-lived as dark foreboding crept into her mind.

As if sensing what was wrong, the deer quickly came to stand at her back as it tried to bump her into the bushes. She took the hint and quickly hid from sight as the animal bounded away on quivering leg muscles.

An ungodly screech tore through the air and Kaina clutched at her suddenly sensitive ears as she ducked deeper into the foilage.

 _What was that?!_

The little girl nervously peeked through the bushes and bit back a scream as several horrid creatures bumbled through the shrubbery just a few feet away. Their auras were black and evil seemed to roll off of them in waves. Within seconds she was aware of several new Force signatures* that had also appeared in her mind— the monsters were being pursued.

Shrieks filled Kaina's ears as she whimpered and pressed her hands even more firmly to the sides of her head.

" _Gurth caela ie'lle_!', someone cried out as the final squeals were silenced. " _A cé Namo satya tâi dan i cov'n_!"

The voice, though beautiful, was tense with frustration and Kaina trembled as she remembered the last time she had heard anyone sound so angered.

" _Le säna ettul si_. _Vá nahta le, penneth_."

The mysterious voice had taken on a more soothing tone as it spoke gently in her direction but Kaina made no move to come out of her hiding spot. The bushes rustled as they were parted by a pair of hands, and a face soon followed.

* * *

The White Stag of Greenwood could be likened to a second pair of eyes for the ruler of that realm. King Thranduil was deeply connected with his homeland in such a way that the creatures of his land were able to communicate with him if the need were dire. And this matter certainly was of that ilk.

He and a group of Woodland Elves had been traveling to Rivendell for a friendly visit when the mystical deer had alerted him to the presence of the lone child of the woods. By the time he had found her whereabouts, the orcs that seldom passed over the Greenwood's border had very nearly found her also. They were slain now, and were currently being dragged off to be burned.

Thranduil eyed the small elfling that had taken refuge in the brush. Her dark hair was matted with twigs and tangles, her dark clothes were plastered to her body by mud, and her dark brown eyes regarded him cautiously as he approached.

The small group of guards that had also given chase to the orcs watched the scene with unreadable faces as the girl slowly made her way from her hiding spot, obviously deciding that he meant no harm.

" _Vá nahta le_.', he repeated.

The child only scrunched her nose in confusion.

"I will not harm you, child. Do you not speak your native language?', Thranduil asked as he swapped to Westron** for her benefit.

She still did not respond to his questions. Instead, it seemed that his dialect swap had confused her even more. After a few more moments of trying to get her to understand he began to try a different tactic.

"Thranduil." He pointed to himself for emphasis before motioning to her. A look of understanding dawned on her face and she pointed to herself, mimicking the elven king.

"Kaina."

He nodded in acknowledgement.

"Well met, Kaina. Come."

* * *

Kaina followed the rather imposing figure away from the carnage that littered the forest floor. Though she did not understand his language, his motions added to the things she sensed through the Force made it much easier to understand him that she had thought. She had even more trouble trusting him, but surely if he had wanted to cause her harm he would have killed her along with those other creatures. At least, that is what she hoped.

Her short legs had trouble keeping up with Thranduil's large stride as he quickly made his way away from the small glade. He spared her a single glance before swiftly swooping her up into his arms and settling her on his hip. Kaina yelped in surprise while he only gave an amused chuckle at her antics. It was then that Kaina realized just how tall he actually was. Her four and half foot frame was almost six feet off of the ground!

Once they were not hindered by Kaina's pace, they quickly arrived at the nearby encampment just as the sun had begun to sink in the sky.

" _Ada_!"

Her head snapped to the side to see a small blonde headed boy streaking towards them. His arms encircled Thranduil's waist before he pulled back and glanced at her with a baffled expression. He was soon jabbering away in a language she could not understand. Thranduil quickly responded in the same dialect, motioning in her direction before replying.

 _What I wish I had a protocol droid..._

The man set her gently on the ground. He pointed to himself and said his name again before pointing to the blonde child in front of them.

"Legolas.', he stated as he made another motion, one that looked as if he was rocking a baby.

"Oh.', she murmured.

He was trying to tell her that Legolas was his son. Thranduil smiled at her before ruffling her hair and saying something to his son. Legolas nodded before snatching her hand and hauling her behind him. Kaina was very puzzled by now. She could have sworn that the boy was much younger than her, but when she was placed close to him she was shorter than he was!

* * *

 ** _Guide…_**

 _Gurth caela ie'lle_ — Death take our foes!

 _A cé Namo satya tâi dan i cov'n_ — And may Mando's cast them back into the void!

 _Le sana ettul si. Vá nahta le, penneth.—_ You can come out now. I will not hurt you, little one.

*A Force signature is basically someone's personality in a nutshell. It allows the Force sensitives to feel those around them and know who they are. So it's like telepathic name tags (I honestly hate my brain sometimes.)! To Kaina, a Force signature appears as a 'blur of colors' in her mind.

**Westron was the Common tongue in M/E. Therefore there is a really good reason Kaina has trouble understanding the elves.

* * *

 **A/N: I seriously have no idea where this story is going at the moment. The first chapters are always the rockiest, so bear with me please! Lol! I would have updated this morning, but my internet decided to be difficult.**

 **And many thanks to Dovahdad! I probably say this a lot, but you have no idea what your comments mean to me! No one really takes the time for constructive criticism, so that was super refreshing! I will really try to take those things to heart! I'm sorry you had trouble picturing things in the first chapter (I know I always like to be able to see a perfect picture in my mind through the words). Hopefully I will have improved in that area by the time I finish this story!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am a horrible author. *slumps head onto table* I need motivational tapes! Ha ha ha. Kidding, I'm kidding. I blame the over consumption of sugar if this chapter is a teensy bit fluffy! I love trying to write sweet moments!**

 **Many thanks to...**

 **Dovahdad — (I'm back! Forgive me for not updating sooner!)**

 **Dont Treat on ME 2982 — (Ummm... not sure? Every story I write normally develops chapter by chapter. I have a goal I want each character to reach, but other than that, I don't really think that much ahead. And I've never written a romance, so I'm not really sure how good I would be at that. As for her lightsaber, she lost it in chapter one near the end.)**

 **LilactheDryad — (Nah! Don't feel stupid! I'm the stupid one: I haven't updated in forever!)**

 **JJAndrews — (I really hope she develops the way I want her to! Sometimes the characters seem to have minds of their own and I can't seem to rein them in or make them act the way I had planned!)**

 **JJAndrews — (Thanks for the reviews! They are always appreciated, and if you have any ideas of suggestions I would love to hear them!)**

* * *

Legolas lifted the tent flap and tugged Kaina into the structure behind him. Her dark brown eyes watched as the boy ran to the tent's only occupant.

" _Naneth_!', he whooped as he wrapped his arms around the light haired woman with as much exuberance as he had had while hugging Thranduil. The rather petite lady laughed softly as she returned his affectionate gesture.

" _Diola lle_ , _Legolas_." She murmured as she then turned to regard Kaina curiously. " _I ië hen_?"

"Kaina.', Legolas replied.

Thranduil's wife studied the small child who stood a few feet away from them.

"Come here, little one."

Her brow creased with worry as the girl only blinked in confusion at the use of Westron, which she had swapped to when she saw that Kaina had not understood the conversation between Legolas and herself.

"Adar says—', Legolas began.

"Adar says what, _penneth_?"

Legolas squealed in delight as his father appeared and swung him up to sit on his shoulders.

"That she can't 'stand us!', the little boy finished.

"I said _understand_.', Thranduil corrected. "If she could not ' _stand_ ' us, as you put it, she would not have come with me.', he explained as he tweaked the elfling's nose. Legolas giggled and grabbed a fistful of Thranduil's hair, shoving the golden locks into his mouth. The king winced as he tugged back the slobber coated tresses from his son.

"No, Legolas. You must not chew on Adar's hair.', his mother gently reprimanded. "But I do not understand, Thranduil. Why can she not understand us or our language? She is of our kin!"

"I do not know, _meleth._ She was alone when we came upon her. Except, of course, for the orcs that had followed her scent."

"Orcs! Oh, the poor dear! But what should we do? We cannot leave her here, surely?', she asked as she glanced at the object of their discussion.

"No, Lassiel. She will travel to Imladris with us. Elrond may know where she hails from: her coloring resembles that of the elves residing there. But why she would be in our forest alone remains a mystery."

"Well, mystery or no, she will need a bath and something to eat.', Lassiel smiled before walking to where Kaina stood and scooping up the tiny brunette. "Please keep an eye on Legolas, love."

"Where are you going?"

"To give her a bath of course!', she replied over her shoulder as she exited the makeshift shelter.

Lassiel adjusted the small elfling on her hip as she instructed a servant heat the water for Kaina's bath. As she waited for the fluid to warm, she mused on the little stranger.

If she had to guess, the child was not even a decade old, much like her own little one. But there seemed to be a type of maturity surrounding the elfling that most other toddlers lacked.

For instance, instead of squirming in her arms as most others would have done, the brown-eyed girl only watched the preparations for her bath. Her eye color was one of the many things that puzzled Thranduil's wife. Elves were not known to have brown eyes but the child was obviously an elfling, her delicately pointed ears proving that point.

When the water was finally hot enough it was poured into a metal tub, which was conveniently placed behind a sheet pinned between two trees. Pouring a small amount of sweet scented soap into the warm liquid, she swished the water until suds began to appear. Placing Kaina onto the green grass, she quickly helped the child undress before plopping her into the water.

Kaina blinked in surprise for a moment before giggling and blowing at the bubbles that had fluttered up to land on her nose. While she played for a few moments, Lassiel frowned at her clothes: a singed hole was prominent on either side of the cloak and tunic. Shaking her head, she placed the raiments to the side and helped Kaina wash her hair.

Humming a little tune to herself, Lassiel scrubbed the dirt and grime from the long brown tresses before using a washcloth to clean the rest of the little body. When she reached the toes she tickled them and chirped a ridiculous tune that her mother had sang to her when she herself was an elfling. Kaina giggled and squirmed before yanking her foot back and scowling at the lady who had assaulted her feet. Lassiel chuckled before plucking her from the tub and swaddling Kaina in a warm and fluffy towel.

"Let's find you something to wear and maybe something to eat, little one. How does that sound?"

* * *

As the lady Kaina had been introduced to as Lassiel brushed and braided her wet hair, the little girl tried to sense her force signature, which was not very hard to find as Lassiel possessed a strong, golden aura. Almost like sunlight dancing through the leaves, she thought to herself.

"Kaina."

At the sound of her name she turned around on the stool she had been sitting on to look curiously at Legolas' mother.

" _Tolo_."

Even if she did not understand the word, she understood the motion. Kaina toddled after Thranduil's wife to stand in front of a slim mirror. Beginning with her feet, she took in her appearance.

She was wearing small boot-like shoes that laced up to her lower calf, and a green tunic that was a little to large. Underneath the tunic, she was given a pair of grey leggings. Letting her eyes drift even further up, she gave a startled gasp at what met her eyes.

"That's not right.', she muttered to herself. "I shouldn't look like a baby! I look exactly like I did when I was four! Except..."

Kaina frowned as she traced her ear. It was pointy, like the other beings she had met so far. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes before looking at her reflection once more. Nothing had changed.

Lassiel tugged her away from the mirror and made motions for her to stay put while she left the tent for a few moments. Nodding to show she understood, Kaina took the chance to meditate. Maybe some of the answers she sought would appear if she cleared her mind, she thought.

Relaxing her body, she retreated into her mind until she appeared in the same place she had first met Qui-Gon. The man mentioned slowly formed from the blue and green blurs.

"It is good to see you again, little one.', he greeted her.

"And the same for you, master. But what happened to me? Why didn't I come to this place when I died? Why did I change appearance?"

Qui-Gon chuckled.

"So many questions at once, youngling! Be patient, and I shall tell you."

Kaina fidgeted for a moment before Obi-Wan's old master began to speak.

"The Force works in mysterious ways, Kaina. It was not your time to die when you were slain, so your life has been restored to you. Though, why you are in a different universe, I do not know."

"But I still don't understand why I changed species.', she said in confusion.

"You were shown the path of immortality, were you not?"

Kaina nodded in affirmation.

"My theory would be that since your spirit is now immortal, you would have been put into an immortal body when your life was restored.', Qui-Gon offered.

"But there is no such thing as immortal beings. At least, not physically immortal beings."

"Which is why you would have been brought to a different universe.', he concluded.

Kaina thought about that for a moment.

"I suppose that makes sense.', she sighed reluctantly.

"Of course it does! I am, after all, the one who said it!', he teased playfully.

Kaina giggled before slowly exiting her meditated state. And just in time too, for just then Lassiel bustled back into the tent with a plate of warm bread.

After eating her fill, Kaina covered her mouth to hide a yawn.

Legolas' mother smiled softly as she assisted Kaina to a makeshift bed, pulling the covers around her shoulders. Snuggling into the cozy blankets, she gave a contented sigh before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 _*Dream*_

 _"Master Skywalker! There are too many of them!"_

 _She saw death._

 _"Anakin, stop!', Kaina heard herself cry._

 _Death surrounded her._

 _"The Jedi are evil!... Join me, I offer you mercy..."_

 _ _"What mercy is there in such reckless anger and hate?"__

 _ _Death approached.__

 _"Then you have chosen the way of death!"_

 _Kaina screamed as the beam of energy pushed through her abdomen. Anakin's eyes were blazing with satisfaction as the agony was written across the padawan's face..._

 _Death had found her._

 _*End of Dream*_

Kaina woke up screaming and clutching at her stomach. Tears were streaming down her face as she curled into a ball and rocked back and forth. A pair of arms scooped her body up and held her tenderly as she trembled.

" _Tolo dan nan galad,_ _penneth_."

She wept into the person's shoulder as they held her shaking figure.

* * *

Thranduil held the elfling until she stopped wailing, rubbing soothing circles on her back and arms as he comforted her. When she finally stopped sniffling he set her back onto the bed and sat down beside her when she did not surrender her grip on his hand.

With a soft sigh, he waited until she was fast asleep before prying his hand away and going back to his own bed on the other side of the tent.

"What is it?', Lassiel murmured as his weight shifted the blankets enough to wake her up.

"Kaina was having a night terror. She is sleeping soundly now."

"You always were excellent at driving away bad dreams." She rolled over to look at Greenwood's king. "But Thranduil, we should really have Elrond take a look at her when we arrive."

"And we will, _meleth_.', he said quietly as he pressed a kiss onto his wife's forehead. "Sleep, love. We will look after her."

* * *

 _Guide..._

 _Diola lle—_ thank you

 _I ië hen—_ who is this

 _tolo_ — come

 _meleth—_ my love

 _penneth—_ little one

 _naneth—_ mother

 _adar—_ father

 _Tolo dan nan galad—_ Come back to the light


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Kaina and the plot. Ta-da!**

 **Many thanks to JJAndrews , LilactheDryad, and the random guest. Sorry I haven't updated in forever! This chapter isn't as long as I would like it to be, but hey! It's a chapter! **

* * *

Kaina had lost track of the days as she traveled with the strange race of people, but she could tell that they were nearing their destination by the relaxed statures of the individuals she had come to know over the brief period of time she had traveled with them.

Legolas came skipping up beside her, happy to be walking on his own two legs instead of riding with his father as he had been for the past several days. Thranduil watched them quietly from his horse, his lips tipping into a smirk as his son began to babble things to his new little companion.

"Kaina!', the blonde elfling greeted joyfully. " _Naneth ped han ve resto Imladris nó i annûn_!"

Kaina studied him for a moment, sensing his Force signature and trying to comprehend what he was speaking to her about. She knew the word _naneth_ meant his mother, and _Imladris_ was the place they were journeying to, but when it came to the other words she was oblivious.

Legolas watched her face for a reaction, pouting disappointedly when he received none.

" _Sîdh dad_ , Legolas. _Dín u-bedin edhellen_.', Thranduil gently reminded.

The object of discussion was listening carefully, trying to understand their conversation, and letting out an aggravated sigh when she could not.

The Elvenking chuckled for a moment, but quieted when he saw Kaina stiffen. She was looking cautiously at a thicket, weighing something in her mind. Moments later Thranduil was amazed to see two of Rivendell's border guards step out of said bushes, greeting him in the name of their lord.

He could see that the guards' curiosity was piqued; even he had not noticed their presence until they had felt the need to reveal themselves. Lassiel exchanged a glance with him, her eyes begging for an explanation. But Thranduil did not have one to give. He shook his head at his wife, and allowed Elrond's guards to lead them to Rivendell.

Kaina caught her breath as the hidden valley came into view. The white stone that Imladris was built of sparkled brilliantly in the late afternoon sunlight as waterfalls spilled gracefully from the mountains, creating streams that ran into the beautiful city.

The sight was peaceful, reminding her of how Anakin had once described the planet of Naboo.

 _Anakin..._

The feeling of betrayal once more ripped through her gut; she still felt the random phantom pains running through her midsection, recalling the sensation of being stabbed by the burning plasma of a lightsaber. Kaina repressed a shudder at the terrible events of several days ago, her heart still sore from losing her mentor and friends.

Legolas seemed to pick up on her grief where others hadn't, and he shyly ducked his head as he gripped her hand tightly in reassurance. His naneth watched amusedly, her lips twitching at her son's antics. Kaina giggled as Legolas caught his mother's eye and blushed deeply before quickly letting go of her hand and scampering off to join his father.

* * *

"Greetings, Thranduil, King of the Greenwood, son of Oropher!', Elrond welcomed, his hand sweeping outward from his heart in the traditional elvish greeting. "It gladdens my heart to see that you have arrived safely."

"I thank you, Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, son of Eärendil, for your hospitality."

The two elven lords stared at each other for a moment before they broke into smiles and greeted each other informally, acting as true friends instead of nobles.

"How have you been, my old friend?', Elrond asked after he had greeted his comrade's wife politely, gazing curiously at the brunette and blonde elflings that all but clung to Lassiel's legs. The girl especially interested him, as he had never seen an elf with brown eyes.

"I have been considerably better.', Thranduil complained as he motioned for Lassiel to follow him as he walked with the Lord of Rivendell.

"Oh?"

" _Oh_ indeed!', he protested humorously, his face easing into a smile, and then a scowl as he remembered the conversation at hand. "The shadow has begun to creep into the Greenwood, Elrond. Orcs have made it past our borders; I believe they are coming from the old fortress atop Amon Lanc. There is an unwholesomeness that has made itself known there."

"This is troubling indeed.', the Noldor murmured worriedly. "I will—" He was suddenly interrupted as two identical blurs rushed past him, followed by a squeal from Legolas as the elfling was tossed into the air. Elrond shook his head in exasperation at his twin sons' behavior before continuing quietly with his conversation.

"Dan and Ro!', the son of Thranduil yelped happily as he was passed from the arms of one of Elrond's sons to the other.

"Hello, little greenleaf!', Elladan grinned happily as he once more whirled him around. "It has been quite sometime since I saw you around Imladris!"

"'Cause I live in Greenwood!', Legolas replied earnestly as he grabbed a lock of Elladan's dark hair and shoved it into his mouth.

"Legolas', Lassiel murmured warningly. "What did I tell you about chewing on people's hair?"

Legolas' eyes widened and he promptly spit out the tress, causing the youngest son of Elrond to cringe. There were a number of things that were far worse than an elfling's slobber, but the now-wet hair that laid uncomfortably against the skin of Elladan's neck convinced him otherwise.

"I apologize.', Lassiel sighed to her hosts. "I thought we might have broken that habit, but it seems that it returns whenever he becomes excited."

It was then that Elrohir noticed the slight movement that rustled Lassiel's skirt.

"And who is this?', he asked warmly as he crouched to his knees.

"Kaina! She can't 'stand' us!', Legolas chirped giddily from Elladan's arms.

"The word is understand, Legolas.', Thranduil reminded him patiently, pausing in his conversation with Elrond.

"She does not speak the language of her kin?', Elrond inquired, watching with raised eyebrows as his sons tried to coax the shy elfling out of her hiding place.

"Nay, she does not. Nor does she speak the common tongue. We found her near the borders of my realm, being trailed by orcs."

"That is strange indeed. Did you find her parents? Or perhaps her guardian?"

"No. She was alone and there are no elves living that close to the border.', Thranduil mused, watching the elfling as she ducked even further behind Lassiel.

"So you instinctively assumed that she had no parents within that area?"

It was slightly amusing to see Thranduil's shocked face, but he hastily schooled his expression into a blank look.

"No parent would abandon their elfling.', he muttered defensively. "And the trees spoke of no grave danger save the few orcs that we slew."

"Peace, Thranduil.', Elrond chuckled. "There is no reason to lose your temper."

He opened his mouth to retort but a scathing glower from his wife made him press his lips into a thin line.

"What do you suggest I do, Elrond? Her parents were obviously nowhere nearby or they would have heard the commotion.', the Elvenking huffed angrily, earning him another glare from his wife.

"For now, I would suggest that you refresh yourselves before dinner. Your wife seems to be growing impatient with our petty arguments, and I doubt Celebrian will be happy when she find that I argued with her guests within the first hour that they arrived.', Elrond deadpanned, though his eyes twinkled merrily.

"And after supper...', Elrond dropped his voice so that it was barely above a whisper. "We will speak of this elfling and decide what should be done."

* * *

 _ **Guide...**_

 _Naneth ped han ve resto Imladris nó i annûn—_ Naneth says we reach Rivendell before the sun sets

 _Sîdh dad_ — Calm down

 _Dín u-bedin edhellen_ — She does not speak elvish.


	5. Chapter 5

**Many thanks to...**

 **Lady Syndra — (Thank you!)**

 **Woman of Letters — (Thanks! And in answer to your question, I am definitely planning on it. It may be nothing major, but I do have plans for that.)**

 **Reiluna — (Wish granted! I'm so glad you like this story!)**

* * *

"Elrond? Who is the elfling sitting beside Lady Lassiel?"

Elrond quirked an eyebrow at his seneschal as the ellon took the empty seat to his left; Glorfindel was late for dinner for the third time that week.

"I am surprised Glorfindel! You have already met Legolas— several times, I might add."

"No, the other one— the small elleth with brown eyes."

The Lord of Rivendell was surprised when he turned to glance at his long-time friend and councilor. Where Glorfindel was usually cheerful, his face was grave as he gazed at the elfling seated by Thranduil's wife.

"I believe they call her Kaina. She was found near the borders of Greenwood by Thranduil."

"There is something...', Glorfindel began, trailing off into quiet thoughtfulness.

"There is something...what?', Elrond pressed.

"Her fëa. It's... strange. Certainly brighter than what I have seen in an elfling before...', Glorfindel mused, his golden hair falling around his face as he leaned forward on the table to continue staring at the little girl.

"I am afraid I will never be able to grasp the thought that you can see both the worlds of the Seen and the Unseen.', his friend chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. "It continues to amaze me."

"Hm.', the seneschal hummed in agreement, too occupied with the elfling to form a coherent statement.

"It's rude to stare, you know.', Elrond laughed, moving his hand in front of Glorfindel's face to grasp his attention.

"Forgive me.', Glrofindel shook his head as he brought his eyes back to his friend. "It is only that—"

The elf stopped mid-sentence once more, much to the annoyance of Rivendell's ruler.

"Glorfindel? What is it?"

"Elrond.', he said, his voice low and deep. "What is Kaina doing now?"

"She is— I actually don't know."

Glrofindel eyed the child once more. She appeared to be chewing a piece of bread, though her eyes seemed to be screwed shut in concentration.

"We need to speak after supper."

"I am afraid I cannot; I already promised Thranduil that I would speak with him about the youngling."

"Excellent.', Glorfindel smoothly replied. "That is exactly what I wish to speak about."

* * *

Kaina slowly nibbled the slice of strange bread, which was unlike anything she had had before. It was light, while still being dense enough to satisfy her hunger.

Sighing, she set the delicious fare down and thoughtfully stared into the blazing fire that lit the dining hall.

" _Man el aes_ , Kaina.', Lassiel smiled softly at her, motioning to her uneaten bread.

She nodded, quickly biting into another piece, when the doors to the hall opened and a man with long golden hair entered.

His eyes fell on her, his brow creased as he studied her closely. Kaina reached up to wipe her mouth, thinking that perhaps he was staring at her because she had some crumbs stuck to her lips. The man's lip twitched into a small smile as he saw the movement, and he quickly moved to sit at the head of the table with the man who had greeted them upon their arrival into the city.

Kaina caught him staring at her more than once over the next several minutes, and it began to make her nervous. She slowly closed her eyes, searching for the force signature of the strange man.

Her eyes squinted as she focused on his force signature, her lips puckered as it slowly formed in her mind. The colored blurs slowly drew together, materializing an image with painstaking slowness. Kaina had already learned that the signatures of the pointed creatures were different than most of the beings she had come in contact with. Their signatures seemed more diverse, and each aura was uniquely its own color. In her own universe, everything had been seen in vibrant blues and greens. But here... there were more colors than she had ever imagined possible.

The particular force signature she was studying had something that the others lacked. It was bright, as all of the others had been, but it was also... otherworldly, almost as Qui-Gon had looked in her mind. Yet there was also something conspicuously different between Qui-Gon and the man under her scrutiny— something that bothered her as it danced just beyond the reach of her awareness.

Kaina cautiously reached out with her consciousness, letting it gently brush against the man's vibrant gold aura, trying to find what had caused her uneasiness. As soon as she felt her mind brush against this curious being's, his spirit seemed to jump to life with a flame of vivid recognition. It startled her to the point of where she quickly withdrew, popping a pice of bread into her mouth to keep from squeaking aloud.

The golden haired person seemed to be a force sensitive. At least, that was the only way Kaina could think to explain it at the moment. How else would he have been able to sense her consciousness brush against his own?

* * *

"And you are certain that that is what you felt?"

"I am. Her fëa most definitely brushed against my own."

Thranduil had sat quietly for most of the meeting, letting Elrond voice his thoughts on the homeless elfling. To say that he was surprised when Glorfindel spoke of what had happened during supper would be an understatement.

"That is a rare thing to happen, especially in one so young.', Elrond mused.

"Yet it would explain much, _if_ shecan sense the fëar of others.', the Elvenking muttered to himself.

Both of the other elves in his presence turned their gazes to him, imploring him to continue with that train of thought.

"She sensed your border guards, even before I did, Elrond. I have noticed that Kaina's behavior seems... quite eccentric at times. She would often wander away to find a quiet place whenever we would set up camp."

"Strange indeed. But there is one thing we should consider. Only those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm gain the ability to see in both worlds, and yet I doubt that the little one has ever been beyond the shores."

"Perhaps she is a new theme in Illuvatar's music? One who has only recently emerged?"

Glorfindel scoffed at Thranduil's idea (which, in the Balrog slayer's defense, it was a rather ridiculous one), making the Elvenking glare at him. While he may have gotten along famously with Elrond, he could barely tolerate his friend's seneschal.

"I highly doubt that is the case. She is as elven as you or I.', Elrond cut in, giving both of his companions stern glances.

"Then what _is_ she?', Thranduil wondered aloud.

"She is an elf.', Glrofindel grinned.

"Obviously.', he shot back. "But of what race? And why can she sense things that others cannot? You can only sense these things because you...', he stopped short, a look of horror falling over his face.

"You— you do not think she _died_? Do you?"

"I do not know what to think.', Elrond replied gravely. "This is a perplexing matter— even more so because she cannot understand us."

"Send word to your mother-in-law."

The Lord of Rivendell blanched, making Thranduil and Glorfindel smirk. If there was one thing they agreed on, it would be that it was fairly amusing to see Elrond afraid of his wife's mother.

"Lady Galadriel is not a Balrog, Elrond.', the Woodland King chuckled.

"Though, she is scarier than one.', Glorfindel added.

"You would know.', Elrond grumbled sourly. "You're the one who died because his 'beautiful' long hair attracts the demons of Morgoth!"

The seneschal gave a mock gasp of hurt, falling dramatically into an armchair.

"You wound me, my lord!"

Thranduil rolled his eyes and poked the golden warrior in the side, making Glorfindel yelp in surprise. They seemed to be reverting back to the days of childish behavior before suddenly becoming more sober.

"Send word, Elrond. Lady Galadriel may be able to communicate with the child."

The elf gave a slow nod of defeat.

"I will send word as soon as possible. But until my wife's mother arrives, we shall have to keep a close watch over Kaina. Perchance we can find out more about her strange awareness."

Glrofindel gave his own nod, his own of agreement instead of dread, while Thranduil only stared out the study window thoughtfully.

"Elrond, one thing still plagues me... why can she not understand anything we say? She has learned a small amount of Sindarin as she traveled with us, but before that she had no knowledge of any language that was spoken on Arda. Not that I have ever heard, anyway."

"Perhaps you are not as educated as you think, Oropherion?', Glorfindel goaded.

Thranduil's ignored the remark, waiting patiently for Elrond's answer.

"I suppose we shall find out when my—' Elrond gulped nervously. '—mother-in-law gets here."

* * *

The next week was sunny and clear, apart from a small shower here and there. Lassiel sat in the gardens with several other ladies as they had done over the past several days, their needlework in their laps as they chatted companionably about the odd happenings of the world.

Those who had children had brought them along, and there were now several elflings engaged in a lively game of tag as they wove in and around the trees, their mothers watching them fondly.

Lassiel gave a small smile as she saw Legolas shout happily as he finally caught up to one of the swifter younglings. Her little greenleaf would soon be among the swiftest runners, she thought with a happy flutter in her stomach.

"So', Celebrian started with a wink in her friend's direction. "Elrond tells me that you and Thranduil have taken this mysterious elfling underneath your protection?"

"Yes.', Lassiel sighed as she whipstitched the edge of a pocket handkerchief. Elves did not usually need the linen squares as they rarely got the sniffles, but more often than not Legolas would have a smudgy face that needed wiping.

"Yes, until we can find her parents."

"And if you cannot?', Celebrian whispered, her voice dropping lower so the other ladies were not privy to their conversation.

"Then I suppose she will either stay with us, or we will find a good family to take care of her. Legolas might like to have a sister.', Lassiel pondered.

"Speaking of siblings, Elrond and I have been thinking of having another one, especially since mine have all come of age."

"Oh, Celebrian! That's wonderful!"

"But if we do decide _not_ to have another one, perhaps we could consider fostering Kaina? I know I would not be against it."

Lassiel eyed her friend with a twinkle in her eye.

"I will definitely speak with Thranduil about it."

Her eyes searched out the subject of their discussion, and she furrowed her brow in concern as she saw the small elleth in the same position she had been in earlier.

"Kaina worries me sometimes, Celebrian. She has not played with the other children since we arrived; instead she sits underneath that big oak. Her eyes close too, though when I asked your husband he said that as long as she seemed healthy she should be fine."

"Does she sleep well at night?"

"Not exactly. Thranduil has had to chase away her night-terrors several times in the middle of the night. They have gotten so bad that we have placed her across the hall with Legolas, since his room is much closer than her's is."

"Poor dear.', Celebrian murmured. "My mother will hopefully be here soon to help us puzzle this whole thing out."

"I hope she arrives soon.', Lassiel replied wistfully.

* * *

 ** _Guide..._**

 _Man el aes—_ eat your food

 _elleth—_ female elf

 _ellon—_ male elf

 _fëa—_ spirit

 _fëar—_ spirits


	6. Chapter 6

" _Caro de iest teilia ómë_?"

A short shadow cast it's flickering darkness over Kaina's form as she sat propped up against the tree. Giving a minuscule smile, she looked up and shook her head at the blonde elfling. Even if she could not fully understand these people's strange language, she was beginning to understand the rudimentary words. In this particular situation she had the basic idea that Legolas was asking her to play.

It was not exactly that she did not _want_ to play, she just did not remember how to. While the other younglings at the temple usually played games in-between lessons she had been found studying with her master; that had been the price of being accepted as a padawan earlier than the other students. Though even if she had remembered how to frisk about without a care in the world, she highly doubted that she would want to. Yet, anyway. The deaths of her friends still laid too heavily on her heart for her to be able to run and play with Legolas and his companions— she did not want to upset them with her gloomy demeanor.

Instead, Kaina quietly stole off to be alone. During her stay at the temple she would often have meditation sessions a minimum of five times a day, but that number had been significantly downsized when she came to this place— it seemed that there was always someone nearby. Meditation was used to calm oneself and focus on clearing the mind of confusing emotions that would blur one's unity with the Force. It was hard to accomplish when the person was by themselves, let alone when one was surrounded by several others.

* * *

Glorfindel curiously observed from the balcony as the tiny brunette snuck away from the large group of ellith and their elflings. From his high vantage point, he watched the child as she made her way to a quiet clearing not far from the others. Upon arriving, Kaina promptly sat down, her legs crossed and tucked underneath her.

Her chestnut colored hair was swept back into a basic braid, keeping the unruly, child-like curls away from her eyes. The elfling's hands were placed on either knee, her face relaxed as she sat silently with her eyes closed for a few moments.

The Balrog slayer watched as her lips moved silently, as if she were talking to the air. But then something odd happened. He again felt the brush of her bright fëa. Kaina must have also felt the contact; her eyes slowly opened, shifting their gaze to his presence as he leaned against the balustrade. She gave a small smile and lifted her hand in greeting before her eyelids drifted close once more.

* * *

 _Focus on the Force. It is energy, moving through us, binding us, surrounding us... There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, only the Force._

Kaina shook her head as she tried and failed to focus. A sigh came from her lips: had it always been so hard to concentrate? A smirk of remembrance appeared as she thought of how Kit had always reprimanded her for letting her mind wander during their first lessons.

"I wish you were still alive to guide me, Master.', she whispered. "I miss you, and it is hard to concentrate on my studies when I think of you."

She tried once more to meditate, placing the negative emotions far from her thoughts. The force signatures of the crowd she had left behind shimmered; she quickly removed their presences in her mind in order to fully concentrate.

Kaina muttered to herself as she attempted the tedious task of clearing the dark memories from her mind. Fear was the path to the dark side, which meant that she would have to rid herself of the fear she had for the fallen jedi who had once been her friend. The Force had a delicate balance: one she was not willing to upset by turning down the shadowed path. A frown marred her innocent features as she struggled to remove the ugly anger and hate she wished towards Anakin.

Succeeding at banishing at least a portion of the ill feelings, Kaina breathed deeply. It seemed to her that the aura of Rivendell was quite similar to that of the Room of a Thousand Fountains: relaxing and calming. And speaking of auras, she sensed a new one as soon as it stepped outside of the building.

Her eyes pried themselves open to glance up at the golden-haired elf who had unnerved her so badly at dinner last night. Kaina allowed her 'soul', as her master had once called it, to brush against the strange being's. It once again flamed to life, though she did not withdraw in surprise as she had done with the previous encounter. Rather, she cautiously sensed his emotions, garnering that he was uneasy with her odd abilities.

Her lips tipped into a slight smile, and she waved at the supple-looking figure, who quickly turned and strode back inside the white stone building.

* * *

"My mother says she will be here within the month."

Elrond bit his lip to keep from protesting, mentally belittling himself for his selfishness. His wife's mother was coming to help them find out the girl's past, not terrorize him for Valar's sake!

"It is not the end of the world, _meleth_. She is only coming to help.', Celebrian laughed lightly as she felt his panic through their bond.

"You do realize she is going to spoil our children horribly when she gets here?"

"I would expect nothing less.', the blonde elleth chuckled. "She is their grandmother, dear."

"I know.', he mumbled in reply. "Unfortunately."

His wife emitted another merry chortle, giving him a peck on the cheek before she danced out of the room.

Elrond sighed as a knock interrupted his sullen train of thoughts.

"Come in. Oh, it's you."

Glorfindel sheepishly opened the door and entered the room.

"Expecting your mother-in-law?', the seneschal teasingly grinned.

"You are incorrigible.', he muttered in reply, though the corners of his lips lifted upwards. "Did you come for a chat? Or did you have something serious to discuss?"

"I only wished to tell you that Kaina brushed against my fëa again this morning. I thought you might wish to know that I'm not as insane as you believe me to be.', Glorfindel answered with a toothy smile.

"I doubt that.', Elrond huffed, earning himself a raised eyebrow as his friend left the room.

* * *

Kaina swallowed the scream that threatened to bubble from her mouth, clamping her lips shut against the noise.

"A _jedi would be stronger than this._ ', she thought stubbornly to herself as she tried to muffle the sobs that insisted on making an appearance after her latest nightmare. " _Why do I continue to dream of what happened?_ "

A small crack of light appeared as the door to the bedroom she shared with Legolas creaked open. The girl shrank further underneath the woolen blankets, pulling them over her head.

" _Penneth_ , _nó_ _dúath oltha nahta le._ "

Thranduil's voice rolled over her in soothing waves as Kaina sniffled, rubbing her runny nose on her sleeping tunic's sleeve as another tear made a path down her face. She shuddered for a moment as he flipped the covers back down, rubbing the now-frizzy hair out of her face. His face was filled with compassion as he tucked a warm coverlet around her shoulders, moving her so that she was nestled into his own warmth.

* * *

Thranduil worriedly eyed the tiny elfling as her eyes sedately closed in sleep. It was odd that she slept as she did; elves were not known to rest that way unless they were in a healing sleep.

The fact that Kaina was still plagued by nightmares was perturbing, to say the least, but seeing her sleep as she was made things worse, even if it was how she had slept since the Woodland King had met her.

"Ada?', a weary voice called. "Why are you holding Kaina?"

"She had a nightmare, _ion nin_. _',_ Thranduil answered with a hidden smile as his son rolled out of his short bed and toddled over to climb into his lap beside Kaina.

"Kaina is always sad— is that why she has bad dreams?', Legolas asked sleepily as he peered at his sleeping friend.

"I do not know, _penneth_. What do you mean by 'always sad', Legolas?"

"She never plays with me and my friends.', the elfling explained innocently, rubbing the bleariness from his eyes. "I think she misses her family. I heard her crying last night, Ada, before she fell asleep."

"Oh? And what did you do when you heard her?"

"I- I kissed her cheek, like naneth does when I'm sad.', Legolas stuttered, his face heating in embarrassment.

Thranduil could not stop the deep rumble of laughter that came from his chest.

"Did it make her feel better?', he could not help but ask, making his son blush a deeper shade of red.

"I don't know', Legolas mumbled. "But she looked surprised!', he added with a small grin of satisfaction. "I think she liked it!"

This time Thranduil did not even try to stop his mirth.

* * *

Over the next few weeks Kaina had slowly begun to understand more of the musical language that was spoken around her. Lassiel would often help her by pointing out objects and naming them until she knew their names by heart. Legolas also helped whenever he was not playing with his friends and trying to get her to join them.

On this particular day she was curled up in an arm chair next to Lassiel, inspecting the pictures in the heavy tome she had been given. The drawings were of strange animals, none of which she had seen before. Kaina was carefully turning the page again when Thranduil entered the room, speaking hurriedly to his wife who answered just as quickly.

" _Tolo,_ Kaina.', she said kindly, helping her out of the tall chair. Whatever she said next was lost as the lady's husband gave a small grunt of impatience and swung the child into his arms. Said child gave a startled yelp and tucked her head into Thranduil's neck, making the elf chuckle.

She was speedily carried into a different room, being set gently onto her feet as they reached their destination. Still a bit wobbly from being carried so rapidly, Kaina leaned against Thranduil's legs as she let out a little pant of delayed surprise. The elf ruffled her hair, making her scowl playfully at him and try to replace the wayward strands that had slipped from the braid.

As she fixed her hair back to the way it previously was, she took in her surroundings and those who were in them. She recognized the auras of the dark haired males who had welcomed them to Rivendell, along with the man who had the long golden hair. But the next figure she sensed was someone she had not yet met... a lady whose hair shone an enchanting mix of silver and gold.

* * *

 ** _Guide..._**

 _Caro de iest teilia ómë?_ — Do you want to play with us?

 _Penneth, nó dúath_ _oltha_ _nahta le.—_ Little one, the dark dreams cannot harm you.

 _Tolo—_ Come

 _Ada—_ daddy

 _ellith—_ female elves

 _meleth—_ my love

* * *

 **Happy Holidays!** **Thank you's today go to the random guest! I hope you enjoyed this update! Also, thanks to those who have followed and favorit-ed (I don't think that's a word...) this story!**

 **With much love,** **SweetDixie.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Many thanks to Dally'sTUFF and Frost-Prime1340 This update would have taken a lot longer without you! Your reviews made me actually _want_ to write! Which is incredible, because I felt like I had lost my muse for a few days... Thanks again to my reviewers, followers, and those who favorite-ed (again, not a real word) this story. Please drop a review if you can! They motivate me!**

* * *

"Always the impatient one, Lord Thranduil.', Galadriel laughed lightly. "When I requested your presence I did not expect you to appear so quickly."

The Lady of Light shifted slightly to the side as she studied the elfling that leaned against the ellon's leg.

"Thranduil!', Lassiel panted, entering the room a few moments after her husband. "You–', she paused to catch her breath. "–should not... run through the halls... like that."

"Is that why the little one is so out of breath?', Elrond chuckled. "Impatient indeed!"

The Woodland King sent a withering glare in his friend's direction before inclining his head respectfully towards the Lady who had traveled from Lóthlorien, greeting her by sweeping his hand away from his heart. She imitated his gesture, but wasted no time with the other silly formal greetings that often took place.

"Elrond has told me much about Kaina.', Galadriel mused, studying the little elfling who stared back at her uncertainly. "Though some of it I do not understand."

"I am unsure that any of us fully understand, Lady Galadriel.', Thranduil said apologetically. "Though I can recount to you what we do know of her thus far."

Galadriel listened carefully as he narrated the happenings from the moment they had found Kaina in the Greenwood to the moment they were now in.

"Brown eyes and hair are not seen among the elves...', she mulled, eyeing the girl with obvious curiosity. Her piercing blue eyes peered into Kaina's dark ones as she tried to use her mind to reach out to the girl. Many of those who Galadriel communicated with in this way were often perturbed by this activity, but Kaina simply stood still and waited.

"Mother?', Celebrian began when she saw the Lady's brow crease slightly. "What is it?"

"I cannot read her mind. There is the language barrier, of course, but there is also—', Galadriel paused for a moment, her frown deepening. "There is a maze... a maze in her mind. It bars me from her emotions, and I will not find them unless she wills me to."

"Incredible.', Glorfindel muttered as he leaned forward in his seat. "For one so young she must have a phenomenal control over her mind. Even I cannot fully keep my emotions hidden from you, Lady."

"Astounding, though this makes things slightly more difficult.', Elrond added thoughtfully.

"Thranduil, what did she look like when you first found her?', Galadriel questioned, continuing to keep her gaze steadily fixed on Kaina.

"She was confused... and frightened."

"Hm. And her clothing?"

The King of the Greenwood sent a wordless plea to his wife through their bond, begrudgingly admitting that he did not remember. Lassiel gave an exaggerated sigh before explaining in the place of her husband, describing in great detail the garments Kaina had been wearing.

"May we see them?', Galadriel requested solemnly.

* * *

Kaina had know the minute she had laid eyes on the mysterious lady that something set her apart from the others in her company. Her suspicions were only confirmed when she felt the woman's presence patiently trying to read her emotions.

The feeling was by no means foreign— the Jedi often used such means to silently communicate with one another. But Kaina blocked off the gentle attempt, pushing it away and constructing one of the mental mazes her Master had taught her of. The lady appeared to be slightly shaken by this ability, and she gathered that it was not a common thing for this 'Galadriel's' attempts to be quenched. It was not because Kaina sensed ill intent that she would not allow the woman to see her mind; indeed, she felt nothing but compassion and tenderness. The reason for the blockade in her mind was because she felt exposed— she did not want anyone to see the hurt, guilt, and anger that still festered inside her. The hurt and anger could be explained easily, but the guilt was an entirely different nest of Gundarks.

While those in the room observed her silently, she closed her eyes and remembered that night— the night she had had the Force vision of the Jedi Temple burning. If she had warned the others sooner, perhaps the way of the Jedi would still be a light of hope in the darkening galaxy. But no, it could not be her fault: she _had_ warned those who were above her in the Order of the vision. They had repudiated it as a mere nightmare, even though the students of the academy had been taught to have such an impregnable control over their minds that such happenings as bad dreams were not common. Pressing the destabilizing emotions behind the walls of her mind, Kaina slowly opened her eyes to see Lassiel reenter the room with a modest-sized bundle of cloth.

Her small hands had unknowingly fisted as she recognized the fabric for what it was, not what it had been. It was once the raiments worn by those who had a hope for a life of peace, or at least helping others attain that sought after feeling of the soul. Now it was only seen as a failure to stop the evil from purging the goodness from the galaxy. The mental walls Kaina had constructed so effortlessly crumpled twice as easy under the strain of her grief as it overwhelmed her already taut emotions. The feeling only grew worse when the lady who everyone had tersely waited in anticipation for observed the singed holes that were burnt into her tunic and cloak. With that simple action the last of Kaina's resolve broke, and she gave a such long wail of grief that those who heard were chilled to the bone.

* * *

When Kaina had let out the pain-filled scream several things seemed to happen at once. Galadriel blanched, pressing herself into the back of her seat as her mind seemed to flood with fierce memories that were not her own. Glorfindel leapt from his chair, his hand moving to where his sword usually hung at his hip, while Elrond and his sons had a similar reaction. And Thranduil... Thranduil was shocked at how much emotion had been in that single cry. The elfling had collapsed after the startling action, surprising everyone once again. Elrond briskly checked her vital signs, reassuring everyone that Kaina's pulse still thrummed a steady tempo despite the fact that it beat more rapidly than he would have liked, though that was no doubt due to the grief that caused it to quicken in the first place.

"Whatever caused such a reaction?', he wondered aloud, hugging Kaina's tiny frame to his broad torso.

"I believe', Galadriel began, her voice faltering slightly as the heavy weight of the child's thoughts and memories were slowly lifted from her thoughts and their imprints left in their wake. "She has suffered more than we know."

""Would you care to elaborate a bit?', Elrond muttered sullenly as he tried to shake the nerve-wrenching feeling out of his gut that had been placed there by Kaina's cry.

"A kinslaying.', Galadriel shuddered, remembering the terrible visions that had been unknowingly broadcasted by Kaina as the barrier separating their minds had been removed. "I saw many things I did not understand. There were men in white armor whose eyes could not be seen through the black holes in their masks... they were shooting fire from their hands, killing those who moved into their path. Strange creatures who had good auras surrounding them were killed without mercy, especially if they were wearing cloaks that looked like this. Even the young ones died at this armies' hands..."

"And Kaina?', Lassiel voiced everyone's thoughts softly as unshed tears shimmered in her compassionate grey eyes.

"She died at the hands of a malevolence I do not yet understand. A flaming sword pierced her abdomen... which is shown by the holes in her garments."

"Died?! Is that why she seems to sense _fëar_ as Glorfindel does?', Thranduil mused, rubbing the child's back in a soothing motion, almost forgetting that it was Kaina and not Legolas.

"No, I do not believe that to be true. I saw that Kaina had many abilities such as that before she came; it appears that she holds a power that we have not yet seen in this world.', Galadriel said mysteriously, resting a fair hand beneath the elven-wrought circlet that was placed neatly on her head.

"Is she a new theme in Eru's music?', Glorfindel asked curiously, eyeing the elfling who was slowly starting to awaken. Thranduil glared at Elrond's seneschal, muttering about how that had been his idea in the first place.

"No, she is elven. But I do not know how to describe this strange 'awareness' as you explained it...', Galadriel frowned.

"Could you try?', Elrond inquired cheekily, his spirits raising somewhat as he watched the sweet elfling curl into the Elvenking's shoulder. His mother-in-law gave a sigh of one in long-suffering before she attempted to tell them of Kaina's abilities.

"She is elven, this is true, but she seems to sense the music of Illuvatar in a way I find indescribable. She allows it to guide her, to predict things before they happen, and to enhance her agility."

"These cloaks." Elladan bit his lip with thoughtfulness. "They are too big for Kaina's small frame."

The elves in the room took careful note of Elladan's words, thinking over their truthfulness.

"She was of mankind.', Galadriel smiled knowingly. "Which is why the coloring of her eyes and hair are such a rarity among the Eldar."

"She was mortal.', Thranduil whispered. "But how? How is she here now... as an elf?"

"The world she lived in is disconnected from us physically, even spiritually. The only thing, perhaps, that we have in common is the Creator of our worlds. I cannot say she is here by the will of the Valar, for I believe there is something larger than they at work in this matter. I saw energy... a force that binds the souls in her time together... perhaps one that binds us together. This force is what has granted her immortality. She was perhaps a decade old in the eye of a human, and it seems her body has shrunk due to obvious matters. Does that satisfy you curiosity, Elladan?', Galadriel added with a small smirk.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you's today go to JJAndrews, ColdOnePaul, Lady Syndra, the random guest, and Awesomesause! I'm so glad you have enjoyed reading this story! I'll go over the story later to check for mistakes, but I have to leave soon and I wanted to get another post in before I was gone all day. **

* * *

"How are we to proceed from here?"

The low murmurs that had previously filled the room were squelched by Glorfindel's question.

"Elrond and I have decided to bring her into our family— if no one here objects, that is. With the twins and Arwen already grown... we thought it might be nice to have an elfling underneath our feet again." Celebrian's statement brought smiles to those who were seated around her, though none smiled more giddily than her twin sons, both of whom were excited at the prospect of gaining a new little sister.

"I suppose congratulations are in order then!', Glorfindel said with a merry grin, clapping his lord on the back heartily.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Glorfindel.', Elrond replied dryly while he quickly scooted out of reach. "Though that only takes care of part of the issue. What of this 'language barrier'? I do not suppose you could do anything about the matter?', he added with a pleading look in his mother-in-law's direction.

"Nay.', Galadriel laughed. "Kaina will pick up the language of our kin soon enough. It will take patience and time, of course, but she seems like an intelligent child."

* * *

Kaina did indeed pick up Sindarin quickly, and far faster than anyone had expected, showing that her mental capabilities exceeded what they had first thought. They all knew she had the ability to sense _fëar_ , but it had never occurred to anyone that perhaps she had different skills as well. Therefore it was a rather startling discovery to find out that she _did_ have other talents beyond sensing other people's auras.

The beginning of this discovery happened on the day that the twins, Elladan and Elrohir, had taken it upon themselves to draw Kaina out of her shy demeanor. After all, they thought, if she was to be their sister then it would never do for her to be leery of their presence.

It was true that she still stayed with Lassiel and Thranduil in the guest quarters of Elrond's home, but that would change whenever the embassy returned to Greenwood.

"She has an odd fascination with plants.', Elladan noted, watching curiously as Kaina gently touched a wilting rose. The blossom seemed to perk up at the contact, making the brothers share an amused grin as she blinked cautiously at the movement. The brothers had decided that it would do the elfling good to be outside, so they had mutually decided to bring her to their mother's rose garden.

"I suppose that has never happened to her before.', Elrohir replied with a small laugh. "She most likely does not know that the elves are talented with gardening."

Elrohir was so busy speaking that he did not realize how close his hand had come to the sharp thorns of a particularly prickly bush. With a low hiss of pain he jerked his hand back to see a long red scratch running down the length of his palm.

"Ouch!', he yelped, blowing furiously on the cut to help ward off the stinging pain that it caused. Kaina's head jerked up, her wide brown eyes gazing curiously at him.

"Mani... naa ta?', she asked, stumbling across the phrase before toddling over to them and grasping the injured hand. Elrohir and Elladan were so surprised at her use of their language that they did not notice what she was doing until Elrohir glanced down in shock: the sting in his hand had disappeared!

"Dan...', he began, watching as the elfling happily moved back to the flowers.

"I know.', his brother interrupted, apparently as shocked as he was.

* * *

Kaina had pursed her lips as she studied the shallow gash that had appeared on the tender skin of her new comrade's palm. The man was grimacing slightly as he also viewed the minor injury.

"What...', she hesitated, frantically trying to remember the simple phrase she had picked up in their language. "...is it?', she finished. The identical men only blinked at her in surprise. With small sigh, the elfling walked toward them, carefully taking the fair-shaped hand into her own.

Applying gentle pressure, she smoothed the edges of the torn skin back together. Closing her eyes, Kaina cleared the thoughts from her crowded mind and concentrated on healing the wound.

" _Think of the blood vessels, Kaina.'_ , she remembered Master Kit saying. This had been one of her first lessons as a padawan— though only because she had tripped down a stairway in the temple. " _T_ _hey_ _are knitting themselves together again, sealing the damaged skin. Now imagine a smooth expanse of skin... no scars mar its features... now open your eyes._ "

Mentally following the directions that had been drilled into her, Kaina peeled her eyes open, happy to find that the scrape had disappeared. With a happy hum, she skipped off to smell the roses again, though she was extremely cautious of the sharp thorns after seeing what they were capable of.

Much to her amusement, the twins continued to gawk at her as she watched them slyly from underneath dark lashes. With a mischievous giggle Kaina danced out of the garden, continuing to laugh softly at their awed faces as they stumbled after her.

* * *

Another such occasion that they made a discovery of her her bizarre abilities was the day they realized she could move things with her mind, which was extremely disconcerting to everyone involved in that incident, though they later found it humorous.

On this particular day, she was in the kitchen's with Legolas, who seemed to have a large sweet tooth. She had gained several new words to add her vocabulary, and although she still blundered through many of them, it had become much easier to have a conversation.

"Legolas?', she asked tentatively. "Are we... allowed in here?', she finally managed.

"Yes.', he grinned, a twinkle dancing around in his young eyes. "Dan n' Ro bring me here all the time!"

"Oh... Are you sure?"

"Yes, silly!', he giggled. "Lainos makes the best desserts ever!"

Kaina bit her lip, unsure of what to do. She wanted to trust Legolas... but the way he had snuck them into the kitchen's pantry made her suspicious.

Her natural intuition proved correct when she heard a loud bellow from who she assumed was the head cook. The blonde elfling who had led her here squealed, darting away and leaving Kaina gaping after him.

"Elladan and Elrohir Elrondion! You bring those pastries back!', she heard the man shout amid the pattering of feet and gleeful laughter of those who she knew to be the twins.

"Kaina!', Legolas hissed, his head reappearing around the corner. "Come on! We're gonna get caught!"

"But you said we were allowed in here!', she frowned. Legolas huffed, grabbing her arm and hauling her behind him.

"Come on!"

They rounded the corner only to see the twins also rounding the same corner. With a shout Elrohir caught Legolas up into his arms to avoid plowing into him, while Elladan did the same for Kaina, both pairs of them tumbling to the ground in their haste. Unfortunately, the twin dubbed 'Dan' had been the one holding the pastries and the platter that was holding the sweet goodies flew backwards several feet into the air, and much to Elladan and Elrohir's chagrin, the head chef Lainos appeared to be in it's path, oblivious that he was about to get a face full of sugary food!

* * *

Kaina held in hysterical laughter at the twins panicked expressions as the plate of sweets soared through the air. As far as she could tell, Lainos was still unaware of the danger he was in. Hastily squirming out of Elladan's arms, she rolled off of him and quickly placed her hand out, focusing on the platter that was still falling through the air.

The twins shut their eyes tightly while Legolas gave a tiny squeak, all waiting for the horrific collision of elf and desserts. But it never came.

Slowly prying their eyes open, the twins gawked at what they saw.

Lainos was impatiently tapping his foot, glaring daggers at them, and apparently unaware of his narrow escape.

"Well? What do you have to say? Where did you put my creations this time?"

Elladan and Elrohir ignored him, continuing to stare google-eyed at what appeared to be the platter of treats hovering inches above the cook's head!

Out of the corner of his eye, Elladan caught a glimpse of Kaina wearing a pleased smile, her outstretched hand only slightly visible from his awkward position on the floor.

"We don't have them!', Legolas chirped. "They're above your head!"

The twins shot him an anxious look, making silencing motions while Lainos' attention was not on them.

"Above my head?!', Lainos howled, though his eyes softened when he realized he had frightened the young prince. "Do you think I am dull-witted, little greenleaf?"

Legolas hurriedly shook his head.

"No!', he protested vehemently, making the chef hide a smile of amusement.

"Very well.', Lainos sniffed haughtily before turning to the twins. "I have no idea what you did with my dish, but I fully expect a good explanation while you two are helping wash the supper dishes this evening!"

They both gulped, following Legolas's example of nodding quickly. Whenever the chef disappeared from sight Legolas pouted.

"Why was he upset?', he whined. "I told him the truth!"

"We know.', Elrohir comforted, ruffling his hair.

"Kaina.', Elladan sighed. "What on earth are you doing?"

The elfling smiled toothily at them as the pastries seemed to float towards them.

"Helping.', she giggled.

"What were you doing in the kitchens?', the other twin pressed, giving them both a stern look. The tiny elleth gave Legolas a sharp look.

"What were _you_ doing in the kitchens?', Kaina countered placing her hands on her hips, reminding them both that she was far more clever than an elfling should have been at her age due to the maturity of her mind before becoming an elf.

"Sneaking things.', Elrohir admitted, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

She laughed, swatting at his hand as he reached for a pastry from the plate she now held.

"Nope!', she smirked.

"But why?', Elladan moaned, plopping his head back down on the marble floors.

"Because I said so!', she chortled.

"I'll get you and the sweets, you little warg!', Elladan warned as he leapt to his feet and dove for the coveted items.

Kaina laughed, extending her hand to lift the plate far above the twin's head with the Force.

"No fair!', Legolas yowled. "Now we can't reach it!"

"I believe that would be the purpose.', Elrohir said with a wry smile. "How do you do that, Kaina?"

"Do what?', she asked.

"Move things as you do...?"

"The Force.', was her vague answer, making Elrond's sons exchange a glance. This was another odd ability they would have to explain to their father.


	9. Chapter 9

**Many thanks to Dally'sTUFF, ColdOnePaul, piperw142, and LilactheDryad.**

* * *

Kaina watched sadly as the envoy from Greenwood prepared to leave Rivendell. Thranduil and his queen had stayed for two months in the stronghold of Elrond, and while it had been an enjoyable stay, they were more than ready to return to their woodland realm.

Legolas and Kaina— who had become almost inseparable during the time spent in Imladris— were already tearing up at the idea of the impending separation. With a watery smile the brunette gave her friend a comforting squeeze before moving to stand behind those who had made the decision to bring her into her home.

" _Namárië_ _tenna ma lesta edad_.', Elrond murmured, clasping the arm of Thranduil in farewell. The Elf King returned the gesture, a look of understanding passing between them before they broke apart and went their separate ways.

With a last longing look over his shoulder, Legolas disappeared from Kaina's sight, not to be seen in Rivendell for many long years to come.

* * *

Kaina missed Legolas terribly, but she had learned long ago to control her emotions and not allow them to cloud her judgement. It definitely helped that the twins had kept her as busy as they could for the first few days. The weeks were slowly crawling by and, much to her amazement, the seasons began to change.

The brilliantly colored orange and red trees were breathtaking to the padawan who had never seen much vegetation on Coruscant. There were, of course, the gardens in the temple, but they had never changed their colors as the forests of this world did.

"What was it like where you were from, _penneth_?', Elladan asked curiously, interrupting her dreamy thoughts. The night had fallen softly on the valley, and they had finally come in from their day in the rose gardens, sprawling in front of a warming fire as they waited for the dinner bell to ring.

She stilled the urge to roll her eyes at the term that had been used. The twins often forgot that she was, in all reality, mentally older than she looked; she was in fact more quick-witted than most human eight year olds. It was often amusing to see their faces when she did something that betrayed her appearance.

Many times they would go from jabbering random babble and cooing at her, to having deep conversations that were quite astounding in their complexity. Her vocabulary seemed to be the same way— simple, then extensive. Part of this may have stemmed from the fact that Kaina herself was having trouble balancing her mind, as it often felt that she was slowly becoming a more child-like version of herself before springing back to the intelligent youth she normally was.

"It was... different.', she replied, rolling over on her stomach to eye him. "Words cannot describe it. The entire world was a city... and buildings of glass reached far into the sky."

"Mmh.', Elrohir hummed, gazing into the dancing flames.

"Did you have a family?"

"Yes.', she answered non-comittedly. "Somewhere."

"Did you not live with them?"

"No. I have never met them."

"Why ever not?"

"I was removed from them at a young age to train at the temple. Attachments of that ilk were forbidden for a Jedi: it leads to jealously, which leads to hate, which leads to anger and the Dark Side... the side of the Force that feeds off of strong emotions and evil."

"Morbid thoughts for one so young.', Elrohir grunted disapprovingly.

"Perhaps. But my Master did not mask evil matters; it was better for me to be able to recognize evil than be caught unawares by it."

"Master?', Elladan growled in a dangerous tone. "You were a slave?"

"NO!', Kaina shouted, appalled that he had thought so. Anakin— the one who had destroyed her home— was the one who had been a slave, not her.

Kaina ducked her head and softened her voice as she realized her blunder.

"I was not a slave. I was a padawan; a Jedi in training. My Master was my instructor, my friend, and an ally."

"What happened to him?"

The elfling bit her lip, worrying it between her teeth.

"He was slain.', she finally whispered, dropping her head. "I- I felt our bond be snuffed out... I could no longer feel him."

The twins gaped at her for a moment before Elladan finally sighed and threw his head back. A thoughtful silence ensued for several moments before Elrohir finally spoke.

"Elves have bonds, too. Though they are most likely different from these 'Force' connections."

"Truly?"

"Yes.', he laughed. "They are created naturally for the most part, but at other times one must put an effort into building them themselves."

Kaina mulled over that piece of information carefully.

"I thought you were humans. Or at least, humanoids."

"Nay!', Elrohir chuckled. "We are not of mankind; we are elves. What are humans?"

"Men."

"And humanoids?"

"Anything that resembles a human; two legs, ability of speech... so on."

"Your world must be very different. How many races _are_ there?"

"Trillions upon trillions.', she grinned, glad that the conversation had moved on from less heavy topics. She was thoroughly enjoying the dumbstruck look on their faces. "And there is more than one world."

"How do you know?', Elladan challenged.

"I have travelled to a few with Master Kit on simple missions. Some were cold and made of ice, and others were so hot they had lava spewing from the ground."

"Incredible..."

"Yep.', she laughed.

"Kaina?', Elrohir asked slowly, his forehead creasing as a thought came to mind. "Does the forbiddance of affection mean that you will not accept us as your family? Must you place aside love to follow your customs?"

Her own brow furrowed as she muddled through the inquiry.

"No.', she finally admitted, more to herself than the two who were questioning her. "I am not a Jedi, and now I will never be. I know the code, yes, but the temple does not exist anymore... the Jedi are now extinct."

"Why?"

 _"And back to the heavy topics._ ', she mentally huffed.

"The Sith— the Dark Jedi— returned. It was a Sith who—" A lump rose in her throat and she swallowed heavily. "—who killed the Jedi off. He was my... friend once. But he killed—" Here she broke off with a deep sob.

"Oh, Kaina.', Elrohir sighed, gathering her into his lap. "We did not mean to distress you."

Kaina squeezed her eyes shut, pushing back the grief that had started to rip her apart once more as she let her world fade to black.

* * *

"One so young should not have to bear such a heavy burden.', Celebrian murmured from the doorway where she watched the scene with her husband. Kaina had drifted off to sleep, and it was a heartwarming sight to see her curled in the lap of their son.

"Yet she has shown the incredible control she holds over her emotions; the grief has not weighed on her shoulders as heavily as it would on any other."

"It is amazing— these capabilities of hers. I do not believe I will ever understand them."

"It has been said that I am counted among the wisest in Middle Earth, yet I am at a loss when it comes to this elfling."

"Is that right?', his wife chuckled.

"Aye.', he smirked. "And I doubt their is anyone on this earth who could possibly understand her completely."

* * *

Kaina's nightmares of the Jedi Purge had stopped plaguing her, but at times she wished they had not. For in their place she had dreams— no, visions— of the happenings back in her own universe.

Though perhaps some of these visions were not as terrible as the ones that involved a masked Sith and his doings... she had, after all, met certain friends once more. A wistful smile curled her lip as her mind brought her back to a particular night.

* * *

 _*Flashback*_

"Kaina?!"

The elfling squinted at the blurs of green and blue that had surrounded her before her eyes finally caught the familiar face.

"Obi-Wan?', she gasped as she caught sight of the man. "H-how?"

"I do not fully understand either.', he laughed.

"Well are you dead?', she huffed. "Or meditating?"

"No and yes.', he grinned. "And you?"

"Yes to the first and no to the second.', she replied, only to shake her head and try to clarify her words. "I mean, yes and no to the first. I died... but I'm alive again?"

"That I do understand.', he chuckled. "Qui-Gon paid both Master Yoda and I a visit."

"I met him."

"So he said." Her old friend studied her carefully. "Do you know where you are?"

"In a galaxy far, far, away.', she said dryly. "Another universe, I have been told. And where are you?"

"I am in exile on Tatooine."

Kaina shut her eyes, searching for something to say.

"At least you are alive.', she finally breathed. "I was afraid the Jedi had been—"

"I know.', he finished for her. "Only Yoda and I are left."

"And Anakin?', Kaina asked hesitantly. "Is he...?"

"He is alive.', Obi-Wan answered slowly, his eyes gaining a haunted look at the admittance.

"Why did he... do what he did?"

"He was fed lies. He believes that he is self-rightous and that the Jedi are evil."

"Then he is truly gone from us."

"Yes. But what of you, young one? How are you still compassionate towards that... that _monster_?"

"It is the Jedi way.', Kaina sighed, a little disturbed by the term Obi-Wan had all but spat. "I was angry at first. Meditation was abnormally hard with all of the... feelings."

"I have felt the same.', Obi-Wan said softly. "I almost blame myself—"

"Don't!', Kaina suddenly snapped. "Do not do berate yourself over this; you will only turn as he has, and then who will keep the ways of the Jedi alive?"

Obi-Wan's bright blue eyes bore into her dark ones before he suddenly grinned.

"You have matured.', he noted with a wide smile. "Though I think your appearance may have become more... childish."

Kaina did nothing to stop herself as she rolled her eyes, earning a sincere laugh from Obi-Wan.

"I must go.', he finally murmured. "I have a vigil to keep."

"Over who?"

"A babe named Luke. He is a new hope for us."

The shape of her friend slowly blended back into the green and blue surroundings and, with a smile on her lips, Kaina woke up feeling at peace for the first time since she had arrived in this new place.

* * *

 _Guide..._

 _Namárië, tenna ma lesta edad_ — Farwell, until we meet again.

 _penneth—_ little one

* * *

 **A/N: So there you go, another update! Kaina is slowly adapting and maturing, and the next chapter will probably have some bonding with her foster family. Oh, and many people have asked where her lightsaber is, so I wanted to say that if you reread chapter one you will find that she lost it during the attack on the Jedi Temple. Please ReViEw!**


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